Amherst College - Hurricane Sandyhttps://www.amherst.edu/taxonomy/term/18116
enThe Basketball That Survived a Superstormhttps://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/magazine/issues/spring_2013/beyond_campus/the_basketball_that_survived_a_superstorm/node/497981
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><span class="fine-print">By Emily Gold Boutilier</span></p>
<p><strong>[Lost &amp; Found]</strong> Last Halloween, two days after Hurricane Sandy crippled the Jersey Shore, a police corporal named George Duffy went to East Avenue in Bay Head, N.J., to survey the damage. Unable to drive along the oceanfront street because it was filled with sand, he and Patrolman Stephen Stockoff set out on foot.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span id="file-272535" class="file file-image file-image-jpeg">
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<img alt="" class="media-image" title="13898.jpg" height="233" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="350" src="https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/13898.jpg&amp;__=1370537723" /> </span>
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<span class="fine-print">Many beachfront homes in Bay Head, N.J., suffered major damage during Sandy.</span></p>
<p>“The houses were opened up like tin cans,” Duffy says. “The water went right through them. We lost one whole house. It’s gone—it doesn’t exist anymore.” Entire contents of houses—furniture, appliances, pushed-out windows and doors—filled the avenue.</p>
<p>Among that debris, Stockoff noticed a basketball, deflated but in otherwise good condition. “It stood out,” Duffy says. “We picked it up.” The ball was a commemorative token from what appeared to be a 1957 “miniature NCAA tournament.” The names of the competing schools: Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan. </p>
<p>“Obviously, this means something to somebody,” thought Duffy, who collects baseball memorabilia.</p>
<p>He was right. The ball had spent decades about 300 yards away, in the East Avenue beach house that Richard Anderson ’57 had inherited from his parents. Anderson was co-captain of the Amherst basketball team during his senior year, when the Jeffs coasted to their second consecutive Little Three title. Before Sandy, the ball was on a shelf in Anderson’s basement, but the storm flooded the basement and filled it with sand.</p>
<p>After the storm, Anderson had bigger problems than his missing basketball. Faced with a severely damaged basement and first floor, he and his wife sold the East Avenue house. The decision to sell was wrenching, given the memories they and their children had made there. “I’ve been going to Bay Head almost my whole life,” Anderson says.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Bay Head police officers set out to find the ball’s rightful owner. Eventually, they went to the local <em>Ocean Star</em> newspaper, which published a story and photo in April. A friend saw the article and recognized the ball as Anderson’s.</p>
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<br><span class="fine-print">Richard Anderson ’57 kept this basketball in the basement of his beach house in Bay Head, N.J. He was co-captain of the Amherst basketball team during his senior year.</span></p>
<p>Now the memento is safe and dry in Anderson’s living room in Verona, N.J. Anderson is “tickled pink” to have been reunited with it: “We had a good team my senior year—a wonderful group of players.” This summer the ball will return to Bay Head as part of an exhibition at the local Historical Society.</p>
<p>As for Duffy, he hopes the basketball provides some closure for a family that suffered from Sandy’s damage. “I just hope it’s a little ray of light for them,” he says.</p>
<p><span class="fine-print">Top photo: Tony Kurdzuk/</span><em class="fine-print">Star-Ledger</em><span class="fine-print">; bottom photo: </span><em class="fine-print">Ocean Star</em></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/987">basketball</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6024">hurricane</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18116">Hurricane Sandy</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19052">Richard Anderson</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/15782">flooding</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18758">disaster</a></div></div></div>Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:36:47 +0000kdduke497981 at https://www.amherst.eduhttps://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/magazine/issues/spring_2013/beyond_campus/the_basketball_that_survived_a_superstorm/node/497981#commentsCampus Challenge Takes on Hurricane Sandy!https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/projects/campus_challenge/node/439040
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Campus Challenge needs your help to help those impacted by Hurricane Sandy. On Saturday at Pratt Field from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Campus Challenge volunteers will be accepting financial contributions to the American Red Cross and donations of needed supplies. A donation box for needed supplies will also be located at the entrance to Alumni Gymnasium throughout Homecoming Weekend.</p>
<p>The supplies most needed include blankets, candles, flashlights, batteries, water, food, new socks, towels, printer paper, baby items (diapers, etc.), pet food, dining supplies (plates, cups, forks, bowls, spoons, etc.), NEW winter wear (jackets, gloves, hats-- anything to keep folks warm --but used clothing will not be accepted) and cleaning supplies (buckets, squeegees, mops, bleach masks, gloves for cleaning, tarps, garbage bags).</p>
<p>Please consider helping if you can. For more information, contact Paul Sorrentino, director of religious life, at <a href="https://exchange.amherst.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=LPfmrPzRP06CN4LRweXMi0iPXTIaks8I-59tx1PEEsWjIdcZJKrGrNrh-itQHdar9EFvjff-8uE.&amp;URL=mailto%3apvsorrentino%40amherst.edu" target="_blank">pvsorrentino@amherst.edu</a> or <a href="tel:413-362-9786" target="_blank">413-362-9786</a>.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/16303">campus challenge</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18116">Hurricane Sandy</a></div></div></div>Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:36:14 +0000cclark439040 at https://www.amherst.eduHurricane Sandy Information and Updateshttps://www.amherst.edu/news/news_releases/2012/10/node/437832
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><h3><span><span>Tuesday, October 30</span></span> </h3>
<p><span><span>Amherst College will resume operations on Tuesday, Oct. 30. All personnel are to report to work, and classes will resume as scheduled unless weather worsens overnight. Updates will be provided through the emergency line 413-542-SNOW (7669) and this page.</span></span></p>
<h3>Monday, October 29</h3>
<p>Amherst College will be closed on Monday, Oct. 29 because of the approach of Hurricane Sandy. No classes will be held. Essential personnel are to report to work. Students should have breakfast at Valentine this morning, where food will be available to bring back to their dorm rooms. The wind is expected to intensify, with the potential for gusts, blowing debris and falling limbs. Students are requested to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary. Those who must walk on campus should take precaution and follow safer routes without tree cover.</p>
<p>Updates will be provided through the emergency line 413-542-SNOW (7669), the <a href="https://www.amherst.edu/offices/human_resources/weatheremergency/alert">Human Resources website</a> and this page.<!--break--></p>
<h3>Sunday, October 28</h3>
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<div>Dear students, faculty and staff,</div>
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<div>We write to update you on the progress of Hurricane Sandy. Forecasts for the area right now are predicting rain and winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts in the 50 mph range starting early tomorrow morning and ending early Tuesday morning. Such high winds could create very hazardous conditions, so we urge you to avoid spending excessive time outdoors. If/when you have to go out, be vigilant and watch for any falling tree limbs or downed power lines.</div>
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<div>At the moment, we expect that campus will remain open, but we are monitoring the weather and will alert the community to any closures or cancellations via email, the college's homepage and the weather phone line, 413-542-SNOW (7669). In the event of an emergency, call the Amherst College Police Department at 542-2111; if telephone lines are down, call 413-687-2551.</div>
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<div>Best,</div>
<div>John Carter, chief of campus police <br>Rick Mears, environmental health and safety manager</div>
<h3><br>Friday, October 26</h3>
<p>Dear students, staff and faculty,</p>
<p>You may have heard that Hurricane Sandy, which is currently off the coast of Florida, could hit Western Massachusetts early next week. While it is too soon to tell exactly where the storm is headed, the college is monitoring Sandy’s progress and will alert you to any important developments as necessary. Please remember to check your email and the college’s website regularly for updates.</p>
<p>Regardless of the storm’s exact path, it is likely that this area will see some form of significant weather, such as heavy rain, strong wind and/or snow. There is also a good chance we will experience a power outage. The college is already implementing a number of measures to prepare for all of these scenarios, including fueling up maintenance vehicles, transporting a generator to Valentine and ensuring adequate food and water supplies, among other things. Individuals should take steps as well, such as the following:</p>
<ul><li>Make sure phone and email information is up-to-date in our <a href="https://acdata.amherst.edu/WebAdvisor/WebAdvisor?&amp;TYPE=M&amp;PID=CORE-WBMAIN&amp;TOKENIDX=842572836">Mass Notification System</a>.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Charge all cell phones, laptops, iPads and other portable electronic devices on Monday, in advance of the beginning of the storm.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Have a supply of food, water, flashlight(s) and basic emergency supplies on hand, in case of a loss of power.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Fill the gas tanks of any vehicles you own.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Stay indoors during dangerous weather conditions.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Call Campus Police at x2111 in the event of an emergency.</li>
</ul><p>Here are some helpful websites for more information:</p>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.amherst.edu/offices/enviro_health_safety/emergency_prep/response_actions_indiv/hurricane">The college’s hurricane plan</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.weather.gov/">The National Weather Service</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/hurricane">American Red Cross Hurricane Preparedness</a></li>
</ul><p>At this time, all campus activities will proceed as regularly scheduled next week, although that may change as conditions warrant. We will continue to update the community as necessary. Stay safe.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<p>John Carter, chief of Amherst College Police<br>Richard Mears, environmental health and safety manager</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1502">john carter</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8105">rick mears</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18116">Hurricane Sandy</a></div></div></div><ul class="links inline"><li class="sharethis first last"><a href="/sharethis-ajax/437832" class="mm-sharethis">Share</a></li>
</ul>Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:45:00 +0000channa437832 at https://www.amherst.edu